As tensions escalate in the region, reports emerge of three crew members meeting their untimely demise in a Houthi missile attack on a cargo ship off southern Yemen, underscoring the perilous reality faced by maritime trade amid ongoing conflicts.
Wednesday’s attack left the Barbados-flagged True Confidence abandoned, its hull marred by substantial damage inflicted during the assault.
Among the deceased sailors, two were of Filipino nationality, while the third was Vietnamese. The Houthis assert that their assaults are in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The military spokesperson for the Iran-backed faction stated that True Confidence was targeted because it was perceived as “American,” a claim rebutted by the vessel’s owners.
Central Command (Centcom) of the US military strongly denounced the Houthis’ “reckless assaults,” citing their detrimental impact on global trade and the tragic loss of international seafarers’ lives.
Hours after the attack, US forces conducted strikes on two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Yemen, which Centcom said presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships in the region. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that two strikes targeted the airport in the Red Sea city of Hudaydah.
The attack on True Confidence occurred around 12:30 (09:30 GMT) on Wednesday, when the bulk carrier was in the Gulf of Aden, about 50 nautical miles (93km) south-west of the city of Aden, according to its owners.
The vessel was manned by a crew of 20, comprising one Indian, four Vietnamese and 15 Filipino nationals. Three armed guards – two from Sri Lanka and one from Nepal – were also on board.
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A Centcom statement said the 183m-long bulk carrier was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
It published an aerial photograph showing significant damage to the bridge and accommodation at the stern of the stricken vessel, on the port side.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said that before the attack True Confidence had been contacted over VHF radio by a group calling itself the “Yemeni navy” and told to change course.
Other ships in the vicinity soon relayed accounts of a resounding explosion followed by a billowing cloud of smoke.
A spokesperson for the Indian Navy disclosed that INS Kolkata, a destroyer operating in the area under a US-led naval taskforce, reached the location on Wednesday afternoon and successfully rescued 21 crew members through a coordinated operation involving helicopters and boats.
Additionally, the spokesperson mentioned that Indian sailors administered crucial medical assistance to the injured individuals and facilitated their evacuation to Djibouti on Wednesday evening.
A navy-released video circulating online depicted a blaze engulfing the vessel True Confidence, capturing the dramatic scene of crew members being airlifted from life rafts by helicopters.